VC Bessa reliability

[thawkins]

I am trying to decide which Bessa R camera to buy. Either the R2A or the R2M. Does anyone out there have any idea which would be the most reliable? I am leaning toward the R2M but I also like the idea of the AE in the R2A. Have these cameras been trouble free of does one have to ship them back to Cameraquest frequently? I am open to suggestions. I can't afford a Leica.


Tom

 

[Sailor Ted]

Perhaps the M version's shutter may be better however both share the same RF and this is the real weakness- see R-D1 threads. My R2M's RF went out of alignment pretty quickly. If I had it to do again, looking for a lower cost option to a Leica M, I'd have gone the Zeiss Ikon route.

 

[pcfranchina]

R3a

R3a

I have had my R3a for a year without any issues. Seems really tight. Actually love the feel of it. I have no experience with the newer Bessa RxM. I'm sure its just as reliable. Don't think you can make a bad choice with either one

 

[Fred]

I have the old Bessa R, so far no problems. Slight differences in the RF though. The RF patch on the R moves with the framlines as the parallax correction does its job, where the R*A and M it does not. It requires (for me anyway) slight movement of the eye in the VF to get a clear aligned patch on the R.

Set your budget and stick to it, don't rule out the FSU route or used Leicas.

 

[like2fiddle]

I had a R3M for a couple of weeks and had some problems. It arrived out of allignment and after about 5 or 6 rolls of film went into endless film advance mode. I couldn't see the entire frame without moving my eye around which didn't really bother me until I looked through the .72 viewfinder and realized I very much liked that better. The shop I bought it from refunded my money, which I put it into a M2. I've been very happy with the M2. I saved and bought a VC II to use with it. (I do have to admit though, that sometimes I really crave something with a built-in meter).